ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The Los Angeles Dodgers just keep winning when Clayton Kershaw is on the mound.

Kershaw took a shutout into the seventh inning in his first start at Tropicana Field and the Los Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 on Tuesday night. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner (4-0) wound up allowing two runs, six hits, one walk and had eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

Los Angeles has won 15 consecutive regular season games starter by Kershaw. The left-hander is the only pitcher to have three separate streaks of 13 or more games (13 in 2014 and 16 in 2017) since 1920.

The Dodgers, with the National League's best record at 32-17, have won six of seven. Tampa Bay dropped two games behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees and are 13-13 since April 19th when it lead the division by 5 1/2 games.

The Rays were coming off a 13-5 loss Sunday to the Yankees.

"We did so many things really well early on in the year," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Unfortunately the last two days, just ugly losses."

Kershaw had scattered four hits through six but was replaced by Pedro Baez with two on and one out in the seventh and Los Angeles up 6-0.

"Until that last inning everything went pretty well, not a whole lot of hard contact," Kershaw said.

Baez departed after facing one batter when Willy Adames had an RBI infield single that bruised the reliever's right knee. Baez needed assistance as he gingerly walked off the field.

X-rays were negative but manager Dave Roberts said Baez won't be available Wednesday.

"It was loud hitting the knee cap," Roberts said. "Since there's no fracture, we'll see how it responds tomorrow in treatment. We've got a couple days to assess where (he's) is at."

Dodgers LHP Julio Urias was reinstated Tuesday from administrative leave by Major League Baseball. He was placed on leave while MLB officials looked into his May 13 arrest for investigation of misdemeanor domestic battery.

BELLINGER BATTING

Los Angeles RF Cody Bellinger went 1 for 3 with two walks and had his average drop from .405 to .404.

PERFECT AGAINST THE ACE

Garcia went 2 for 2 with a walk against Kershaw, giving him four hits in four at-bats and two walks overall.